Friday, July 3, 2015

5 New Novels Watch for this July

Summer reading! Summer reading! Summer reading! Need even more for your summer reading pile? Here are some exciting new titles being released in July.

Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee (July 14): Normally I put the books in these posts in release date order but this month, it seems fitting to start with Go Set a Watchman. This will probably be the most talked about book this summer, if not this year. We've stocked up on copies to meet anticipated demand, and we're as excited as you to read this book—which the publisher is not alone in calling "an historic literary event." Written before To Kill A Mockingbird, but featuring some of the same characters and set later. It's published for the first time now.

Bradstreet Gate by Robin Kirman (July 7): This début novel has been getting lots of comparisons to another first novel—The Secret History; which launched the career of now Pulitzer Prize winner novelist Donna Tartt. This one is getting dual praise as having both legitimate thrills AND compelling
prose: "Georgia, Charlie and Alice each arrive at Harvard with hopeful visions of what the future will hold. But when, just before graduation, a classmate is found murdered on campus, they find themselves facing a cruel and unanticipated new reality. Moreover, a charismatic professor who has loomed large in their lives is suspected of the crime."

The Flicker Men by Ted Kosmatka (July 21): Author Hugh Howley has this to say of the latest from author Kosmatka,"If Stephen Hawking and Stephen King wrote a novel together, you'd get The Flicker
Men. Brilliant, disturbing, and beautifully told." When a quantum physicist publicly shares findings from a recent experiment, he faces not only controversy but also threats from those who think he's discovered too much. A great summer thriller with scientific speculation at its core.

All Together Now by Gill Hornby (Jul 21): This one sounds like a bit of light-hearted fun from an author whose previous book—The Hive—was called a mom-edy by Vanity Fair. "The small town of Bridgeford is in crisis. Downtown is deserted, businesses are closing, and the idea of civic pride seems old-fashioned to residents rushing through the streets to get somewhere else. Bridgeford seems to have lost its heart.
But there is one thing that just might unite the community--music. The local choir, a group generally either ignored or mocked by most of Bridgeford's inhabitants, is preparing for an important contest, and to win it they need new members, and a whole new sound. Enlisting (some may say drafting) singers, who include a mother suffering from empty-nest syndrome, a middle-aged man who has just lost his job and his family, and a nineteen-year-old waitress who dreams of reality-TV stardom, the choir regulars must find--and make--harmony with neighbors they've been happy not to know for years. Can they all learn to work together, save the choir, and maybe even save their town in the process?"

Kitchens of the Great Midwest (July 28): Love food and cooking culture? Here's a début novel that will whet your appetite. "When Lars Thorvald’s wife, Cynthia, falls in love with wine—and a dashing sommelier—he’s left to raise their baby, Eva, on his own. He’s determined to pass on his love of food to his daughter—starting with puréed pork shoulder. As Eva grows, she finds her solace and salvation in the flavors of her native Minnesota. From Scandinavian lutefisk to hydroponic chocolate habaneros, each ingredient represents one part of Eva’s journey as she becomes the star chef behind a legendary and secretive pop-up supper club, culminating in an opulent and emotional feast that’s a testament to her spirit and resilience."

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